ONCE I WAS pure

0 the snow the beautiful snow

Filling the sky an j the earth below

Over the housetops over the street

Over the hands of the people you meet

Dancing Flitting Skimming along

Beautiful snow it can do nothing wrong

tfying to kiss a fair lady s cheek

Hinging to lips in a frolicsome freak

Beautiful snow from the heaven above

Pure as an angel and fickle as love

O the snow the beautiful snow

How the flakes gather and laagh as they go I

Whirling about in its maddening fun

Itrpfays in its glee with every one

Chasing Laughing Harrying by

It lights up the face and it sparkles the eye

And even the dogs with a bark and a bound

Sitap at the orystals that eddy around

The town is alive and its heart in a glow

To Welcome the coming of beautiful snow

How the wild crowd goes swaying along

Hailing each other with humor and song

How the gay sledges like meteors fiash by

Bright for the moment then lost to the eye

Ringing Swinging Dashing they go

Over the crust of the beautiful snow

Snow so pure when it falls from the sky

To be trampled in mud by the crowd rush

togby

To be trampled and tracked by the thous-

ands of feet

Till it blends with the filth in the horrible

street

Once I was pure as the snow—but I fell

Fell like the snow flakes from Heaven—to

hell

Fell to be trampled as filth of the street

Fell to be scoffed to be spit on and beat I

Pleading Cursing Dreading to die

Selling my soul to whoever would buy

Dealing in shame for a morsel of bread

Hating the living and fearing the dead

Merciful God 1 have I fallen so low

And yet I was once like the beaatiful snow

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow

With an eye like its crystals a heart like

its glow

Once I was loved for my innocent grace—

Flattered and sought for the eharm of my

face

Father Mother Sister all

God and myself I have lost by my fall

The veryest wretch that goes shivering by

Will take a wide sweap lest I wander too

nigh

gives ambition and will to For all that is on or about me I knovr

Jto what he may and